KARACHI: “The Sikh community in Pakistan have remained separated from so many of their places of worship since 1947. But we are so happy and proud that God Almighty listened to our prayers and is blessing the city where our Baba Guru Nanak spent 18 significant years of his life,” said Sardar Ramesh Singh, patron and chief of the Pakistan Sikh Council during a press conference at the Karachi Press Club here on Wednesday.

“We feel lucky to belong to a friendly and welcoming country such as Pakistan. The relationship of the Sikh community with Pakistan runs deep as many of our holy places are located here. Pakistan took the first step towards peace with India by [facilitating] the Kartarpur corridor and winning the hearts of Sikhs all over the world. We are hopeful that the Indian government will also reciprocate with equal enthusiasm,” he said.

“It was big of the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan to announce the opening of the border. Then it was also great that on the request of the Pakistan Sikh Council the Indian government also opened their side of the border,” he said.

“The Sikh community has been trying to have the border opened for quite some time now and this is a historic moment for us all,” he said.

“Besides Guru Nanak’s spending so many years there, Kartarpur’s religious significance also includes the fact that this was where Guru Nanak read Baba Farid’s poetry,” Sardar Ramesh reminded. He also thanked Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu for all his help in opening of the border along with extending gratitude to Jasdeep Singh, Sajid Tarar and Dr Surinder Singh Gill of Sikhs of America for their efforts in the matter.

On the occasion, the Pakistan Sikh Council also aired a few requests and demands which included consideration towards making someone from their community the new chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board. They also requested the forming of a committee with Sikh representation under the supervision of the prime minister of Pakistan on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, so that they can celebrate the occasion befittingly in Pakistan.

Another demand was to declare Sri Nankana Sahib as a holy city and to take back from the encroachers the thousands of Sikh properties and places of worship that have been encroached upon. They also appealed to the Sindh government to allot them a piece of land in a peaceful part of the city which is also centrally located for the purpose of constructing a Sikh community centre.

Besides this Sardar Ramesh also demanded that the Indian government open their border for Pakistani Sikh pilgrims to visit Dera Baba Nanak. “Such measures increase goodwill and relations not to mention trade, tourism and people to people contact.”

Finally, the federal minister of railways was also requested to facilitate Sikh pilgrims by running free trains that can take them from Karachi to Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2018